Hi,
@pcfdave . Lots of people, including myself, age tobacco for long periods of time in the tin because the tobacco changes through a kind of fermentation, just sitting in the tin,. Pressing, while a process that will deepen flavors, and increase sweetness, cannot replicate the microbial activity that takes place over long-term aging in an airtight container. Bijou has already been very hard pressed and is comprised primarily of Virginia from 2003 and of Katerini from 2006, yet neither the pressing nor the age of the leaf used results in the kind of effects that can be achieved by aging tobacco in a sealed tin or jar. That said, Bijou is delicious, in my opinion, just as it is, and we do not intend to suggest with our packaging that you
have to age it in order to enjoy it. We suggest aging because the blend is comprised of high sugar leaf that will definitely yield incredible results through aging for a decade or more. My recommendation would be to keep the tin you have intact, since it is already on its journey, and buy newer tin to smoke for now. Even a year or two can make a significant aroma difference, but it simply takes time for those impacts to be as significant on the flavor the tobacco offers.